Easter Poem

This is an Easter poem my mother wrote to her mother in 1944, at the height of WWII, while my mother was doing her part for the war effort in Warner Robbins, GA. "The Easter Poem" by Grace (Hanson) Avery Dear Mother, If spring comes home and I'm not there to greet its sweet repose, To walk among the buttercups and scold the stinging rose; If I'm not there when the violets bloom and the peach trees blossom pink, And the countryside is gay again with the song of the bob-o-link; If I'm not there when the earth turns green and the sun shines every day, Just remember that world still belongs to me- please keep it while I'm away. You see, I've a little job to do that cannot go undone; Of course it's quite a task at hand but the battle must be won.. So, if I'm not home at Easter Time, as I would like to be, tell all my friends I'm coming home but not to wait for me. Don't wait for me because I fear; that I may be delayed; I may miss Spring a month or so and I can't come home to stay. But oh! If Spring’s a little late this year and time goes slowly by, If the woodlands linger lifeless as tho' waiting for my sigh, If the trees sing out and cry for me as I have cried for them, Then I'll know within my lonely heart my Kingdom has grown dim. And I'll lay aside my arms of war for just a little while, 'til my creator guides me to a place where I can smile. I cannot stay forever in a place I don't belong; So I'll take a short vacation and, Dear Mother, I'll come home!